by Gladwin Issac, Associate, S&R Associates, Mumbai, India

Alexander Leventhal, Co-Founder of Rising Arbitrators Initiative (RAI) and Senior Associate at Quinn Emanuel in Paris speaks to Martin Doe, Senior Counsel, Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the fourth session of RAI’s “Interview the Institution” Series.

In this short meeting with Alexander, Martin reflects on the rich history of the PCA and its notable contribution to the development of international arbitration and gives an insider’s perspective on the arbitrator appointment process at the PCA. He also stresses on why diversity has always been a key concern for the PCA and the significance of the “list procedure” implemented by the Court in championing the ideals of diversity and inclusion in international arbitration. Martin briefly touches upon what it takes to gain the Court’s “confidence” in a candidate to secure his/her first arbitral appointment and the various support systems in place to provide administrative support and guidance to lesser-experienced arbitrators. He recommends young lawyers looking for their first arbitral appointment to “gain domain expertise” and identify potential opportunities to demonstrate this expertise and prove that they are ready for the challenge.

Watch the full recording of the interview on the RAI website available here.